Every four years, Audax Club Parisien organizes Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP), a 1200-kilometer “randonnée” that takes riders from the French capital to the port city of Brest on the Atlantic Ocean and back along nearly the same route. The maximum time limit to complete the distance is 90 hours. In recent years, the event has attracted over 6,500 participants from around the world, all eager to test their endurance and cycling abilities in this challenging event. In 2023, the number of participants reached 8,000.

PBP began in 1891 as a professional race and gradually evolved into an amateur “randonnée” by the mid-20th century. The professional races were held in 1891, 1901, 1911, 1921, 1931, 1948, and 1951. Although participation was always small, each PBP attracted some of the best endurance riders, and the winner of each PBP was awarded great fame. Unlike the equally grueling Tour de France, with its sleep breaks between daily stages, PBP was an “all-in-one-go” race, which sparked immense interest among cycling enthusiasts. It was believed that such a demanding race was too harsh on the riders’ bodies, so PBP was organized only once every ten years. However, proper preparation meant that participants had to give up the highly lucrative criterium season that followed each Tour de France, and interest among professionals waned until the race version eventually died out.

Parallel to the races in the early PBP events, there was also a slower “tourist” category for enthusiasts who wanted to see if they could complete the distance. Typically, each PBP had at least a hundred of these amateur riders, but in 1931, the race organizers dropped this “unglamorous” group. Audax Club Parisien stepped in to fill the void, and since then, PBP has existed for cycling enthusiasts. The 2023 PBP was the 20th edition. Successfully completing PBP means having your name inscribed in Paris’s “Great Book” alongside every finisher since 1891.

There are three main start groups, each with a different time limit: 80 hours, 90 hours, and 84 hours. Riders choose one based on their abilities, riding plan, and overall goals. The 80-hour group starts late in the afternoon and attracts faster riders aiming to ride with other quick cyclists and finish in a shorter time. The 90-hour waves follow, starting in the early evening: this is the largest group, with riders who may not be as fast or prefer a less rushed pace, or who want to maximize their safety buffer if something goes wrong. The 84-hour waves depart the next morning, starting at 5:00 AM, with the advantage of following a day-night rhythm (at least initially) rather than riding through the first night. “Special vehicles,” including tandems and recumbents, form a fourth group, starting between the 80-hour and 90-hour groups. Each rider can freely choose their start group (except, of course, when riding a “special vehicle”).

Participants can ride PBP non-stop (except for signing and stamping their route card at checkpoints) in 44 hours, grabbing food from musette bags provided by support crews, as the fastest riders do. Or, like most participants, they can sleep a little at night and enjoy a few meals along the way. Personal support is allowed but limited. Most participants do not use personal support teams: they embrace the true spirit of randomness and find everything they need along the route. (Each checkpoint offers warm meals 24/7 and some basic sleeping facilities. Medical and mechanical support is also available for riders and their bicycles.) Those who choose to organize personal support can only receive it at checkpoints, which are spaced approximately 65-90 kilometers apart. Support vehicles are not allowed to follow the event route but must take designated, often circular, alternate routes to reach successive checkpoints.

The PBP route, while not mountainous, is quite rolling, and weather conditions can significantly impact the ride’s outcome.

All potential PBP participants must complete a Super Randonneur brevet series (200, 300, 400, and 600 km) in the PBP year, with the series completed by mid-June. Each qualifying brevet must be listed in the ACP calendar and follow its guidelines. You can find qualifying rides in the Audax LV calendar or participate in brevets organized by other countries. Unlike qualifying for the ACP Super Randonneur award, longer brevets can replace shorter distance requirements. For example, someone could ride a 300 km brevet to fulfill the 200 km requirement (but the 300 km requirement would need to be met with another ride).

Yes, any ACP-sanctioned brevet successfully completed anywhere in the world in the PBP year can be used to qualify for PBP, provided it is completed before mid-June.

Registration can be done through the ACP PBP website. The registration period begins in June and ends in July (dates will be announced). To register, you must complete at least 3 qualifying brevets (with the remaining to be completed by a specified date). You can also pre-register, which is a registration precursor, not a substitute, starting from the beginning of the year.

You are allowed to pre-register based on the longest ACP brevet you completed in the previous ACP year. RM grand randonnées from that year can also be used and are counted the same as a 1000 km ACP brevet. Pre-registration opens in January for 1000 km/RM riders. Two weeks later, pre-registration opens for 600 km riders, and so on, down to riders whose maximum ACP distance was 200 km. Pre-registration guarantees you a spot within the rider limit, if one is set. Additionally, by pre-registering, you choose your start wave. You still need to qualify for PBP by the June deadline and then complete the registration. To pre-register, a small deposit (€30) is required.

Within each start group (80-hour, 90-hour, or 84-hour), riders are sent off in waves of approximately 300 riders at 15-minute intervals. When pre-registering (or registering if you haven’t pre-registered), you first choose your start group and then a wave within that group where spots are still available. This way, those who pre-registered with the longest brevet completed in the previous year can choose from multiple waves. This scheme reduces congestion and allows riders to show up shortly before their start wave rather than waiting, possibly for hours.

The participation fee for foreign (non-French) riders has not yet been set, but we expect it to be around €100.

Audax LV does not organize bag drops for PBP, but other organizations, such as travel agencies, have done so in the past. Currently, we do not know what will be offered or by whom. Some riders have used this service to send a bag to one or two checkpoints (Villaines-la-Juhel and Loudéac) for a fee. The bag-drop service is useful for riders who want to send clean clothes, fresh batteries, cameras, nutrition items, and other accessories.

Arrive in France early enough to start PBP fully rested—this is a key component of success. It also provides enough time to assemble your bicycle and, if necessary, troubleshoot or resolve any issues arising from a less-than-satisfactory airline journey. It is recommended to train extensively, riding long and frequent rides. The most successful PBP finishers have at least 5,000 kilometers of training in the spring and summer leading up to PBP. You must also adopt a “never give up” attitude to overcome the tough moments every PBP rider faces.

ACP has announced a limit of 8,000 riders for 2023.

The route is posted on the ACP PBP website. It is divided into 15 stages. For 2023, each stage has an OpenRunner route that you can view and download. Since 1991, the PBP route has remained largely unchanged, though there are usually minor adjustments with each new edition. Most of the route is on quiet country roads, but about 10% passes through busier towns to reach checkpoints. ACP typically releases the route sheet a few months before the event. The route is well-marked with large reflective arrows; most riders find it easy to navigate. The route has approximately 12,000 meters of total elevation gain.

You are given a brevet card, which checkpoint officials stamp and record your passage time on. You are also given an RFID chip, which is read at each checkpoint upon arrival. The readings are available on the PBP website, allowing officials and anyone interested to track your progress.

None of the checkpoint towns are very far from train stations, and most riders who withdraw take the train back to Paris with their bicycles. Historically, about 80% of starters successfully finish.

Send your questions via email to info@audax.lv or Contact Form on this website, and we will be happy to help. Before the 2027 PBP, we plan to hold a presentation where you can also get answers to your questions.